What bloggers like

August 27, 2014 Blogging Mark McIntyre 4 Comments

What bloggers like is interaction. They like to dialog with their audience.

I realize that everyone is busy. I also realize that not every post requires a comment. But if a post stimulates a thought, take a few moments and write a comment which expresses that thought. The post writer will appreciate it and any subsequent readers will be better for it.

This is not only true for Attempts at Honesty, but for any blog that you like to read.

I follow several blogs and I don’t post a comment on every post, I don’t even have the time to read every post. But if I have a thought, I like to share it.

Negative comments (devoid of personal attack) are also welcome. It is OK to respectfully disagree. Writers know that they do not have a monopoly on the truth. Good writers know that despite their best efforts, sometimes they do not express a thought well and this leads to confusion. A comment challenging what is written can highlight the confusion and give the writer the opportunity to clear it up. Again, when this happens both writer and readers benefit.

Jeremy Myers, a serious and seasoned blogger says this about people that leave thoughtful comments on a post:

These are the best and deserve your full and careful attention. The comment is 100 words or less, and shows true interaction with the content of your post. They either add to the idea, or ask a thoughtful question.

You can tell from the post from which this quote was pulled, that he likes people who leave thoughtful comments. Most bloggers do.

What writers do not like are trolls whose only contribution to the discussion is to say something to the effect of, “you’re an idiot if you believe this.” On most blogs, comments that resort to personal attack will be deleted.

So, on this or any other blog, if you feel even a slight desire to chime in with a comment, just do it.

If you feel the need for some coaching on writing blog comments, check out How to write great blog comments by Mack Collier.

If the comment system on this blog is cumbersome, let me know. I like the features of Livefyre and it seems easy enough to use, but if you find it difficult, please let me know and I can look for another option to make it easier. I don’t want the comment system to get in the way of good interaction.

What do you think? How can we get more interaction?

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

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